Vehicle Description
It was no secret that in the early 1960s, Studebaker Corporation
was up against the ropes. Long-term financial troubles led to a
dubious merger with Packard, and the failure of that relationship
left the company reeling. The product line consisted of good
quality, economical cars which did not offer much excitement.
Studebaker needed a stylish "halo" model to drive traffic into the
showrooms and boost their image. Newly appointed company president
Sherwood Egbert devised a plan for a sporty, four-seat "personal
car" to compete against the likes of the Chevrolet Corvette and
Ford Thunderbird. While on a flight from South Bend to California
to meet with his design team, Egbert doodled his idea on a bar
napkin. Egbert shared his plan with chief designer Raymond Loewy,
tasking the designer with creating an image booster for Studebaker,
giving him a virtually impossible timeline with which to do it.
Loewy assembled a design team, and after just eight days of
feverish work by himself, Tom Kellogg, John Ebstein, and Bob
Andrews, the team produced a two-sided clay model, one side
featuring a four-seat design, the other side a two-seater. Company
brass settled on the four-seater, and the South Bend design team
refined the concept for production. Engineers used the 289
cubic-inch V8 and reinforced chassis from the Lark Daytona
convertible to power the new car, now namedAvanti. It was an
affordable and reliable platform for Studebaker to work with, and
updates like Bendix disc brakes added an air of sophistication. But
the underpinnings played 2nd fiddle to what sat atop - the body by
Loewy and his team was jaw-dropping. Fiberglass construction
allowed them to accurately reproduce the coke-bottle curves and
fine detail as envisioned by the artists. The smooth, initially
grille-less design was groundbreaking, the first American car with
a "bottom feeder" radiator and intake. It was a clean, finely
detailed, and sophisticated design. Egbert ambitiously predicted
Avanti sales of 10,000 units in the first year, but thanks to
production issues and concerns from buyers about Studebaker's
health, just 1,200 found homes in the first year, and fewer than
4,600 sold the following year. Studebaker ceased US production by
late 1963, yet despite the drama surrounding its gestation and
ultimate demise, the Avanti is recognized today for its style and
sophistication, courtesy of one of America's most celebrated
industrial designers. This 1963 Avanti R1 is a tidy and
well-presented numbers-matching example, finished in its original
and rarely-seen shade of Avanti Gray. Just 426 cars left the
factory in this color, accounting for only about 10% of Avanti
production. Features of this Avanti include handsome red Regal
trim, floor-shift automatic transmission, power steering, factory
radio, and air conditioning. It is an attractive, well-detailed,
and highly authentic example that benefits from the attention of an
Avanti expert. The fiberglass body exhibits well-defined lines and
factory-appropriate panel gaps. Paint quality is to a good driver
level with a glossy finish and a few minor imperfections making the
car well-suited to regular driving enjoyment. The correct
razors-edge bumpers are in superb condition, complete with the
appropriate rubber rub-strips front and rear. The car rides on
properly painted steel wheels fitted with narrow-whitewall radials
and the unmistakable Avanti wheel covers. The Avanti's strong suit
has always been its comfortable and sophisticated four-seat cabin.
This car is trimmed in an attractive, authentic combination of red
with fawn-colored dash and door tops and speckled red/black carpet.
The pleated door cards and seat inserts denote this as the optional
Regal trim, and equipment includes a floor-shift automatic, AM
radio, a full array of SW instruments, seat belts, and air
conditioning. The compact 289 cubic-inch unit was lauded in its day
for delivering impressive performance for its size, even in
naturally-aspirated R1 spec. This car retains its original,
numbers-matching engine, which benefits from a recent total rebuild
by a Studebaker specialist. Prior to installation, the V8 was
extensively and authentically detailed with correct ancillaries and
hardware. The undercarriage is similarly tidy, exhibiting good
quality finishes on the suspension and chassis components. Thanks
to the recent attention, it runs strong, and exhibits a pleasing,
honest character, making it the ideal pick for casual enjoyment and
participation in club events, tours, and rallies. The stylish
Studebaker Avanti was well ahead of its time, and even after nearly
sixty years, it is still considered one of the great achievements
of postwar American automobile design. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7315-1963-studebaker-avanti/
